Chapter 22

Izuku would be lying if he said he wasn't unsure of himself, with Rei gone. She's always been by his side whenever he's in a pinch, but now she's vanished. There are other ghosts here too, but none of them are her. And besides—in a close alley like this, they could end up being a disadvantage. It's crowded for Izuku, but not for Stain.

"Midoriya." Iida's voice is quiet, but it still sends a jolt of anger and hurt spiking through Izuku until his fists clench.

Later, he thinks. Deal with that later.

Out loud he says, "Don't get in the way." It probably hurts Iida to hear him say that, but Izuku's eyes are on the dead. Their spectral forms shift, and the eighteen ghosts move to give him room.

Before Stain makes a move, Izuku calls One For All into his body and launches himself forward. Full Cowl. It's nice to have a proper attack now—one that he can use freely. Stain's blade flashes out, and Izuku ducks beneath it.

Don't get cut. One cut and it's over.

Speed is key here; for all his talk, he knows that simply stonewalling Stain won't work. He's no All-Might; he can't shut down attacks with raw power. No, if he's going to get himself, Iida, and the injured hero through this alive, then he has to be fast enough, and smart enough.

"Watch your left arm!" the hero with the slashed throat warns.

Izuku jerks his arm away and twists, narrowly avoiding a cut. His teeth clench in a tense grin. Having eighteen spectators on his side doesn't hurt.

Stain is fast, and it's all Izuku can do to keep up. But that's all right, isn't it? It's not like he expects to take down the Hero Killer himself. He just needs to keep up, keep his attention, and keep from getting cut, long enough for help to arrive.

Someone has to come.

Stain's blade hums dangerously close to his face again, and Izuku dodges it. But it's a feint; while Izuku is busy worrying about the blades, Stain lashes out with his free hand and slams Izuku face-first into the alley wall.

Stars explode in his vision, and Izuku shoves off the wall and blinks them away just in time to see Stain lunging for Iida again.

"No!" It's a stupid move, what he does next. He keeps low and dives between Stain's legs, ready to get between him and Iida again if that's what it takes. Skidding to a halt, he whips back around and braces himself for Stain's attack.

Only Stain isn't attacking; in the time it takes for Izuku to turn and face him, Stain has returned to the very spot where Izuku was standing just seconds before. The Hero Killer reaches out, fingertips brushing the wall.

"Shit—Midoriya, stop him!" It's Tensei who cries out, galvanizing Izuku into a desperate lunge before he even knows what he needs to stop Stain from doing.

He's mid-step, his balance off, when his limbs suddenly lock. It's only then that he registers the warm trickle down his face.

He'd bloodied his nose against the wall.

A split second before Izuku hits the ground, he sees Stain finish licking blood from his fingers. Petrified, he rolls over from his own momentum until he's crumpled on his side, looking back at Iida with wide eyes.

No.

"No." Tensei echoes his thoughts in a small voice.

A shadow falls across him. Stain steps over him, smooth and nonchalant as a cat. Izuku strains against his invisible bonds, but his body won't respond.

"Stop." He can still speak, for all the good that does. "Stain—don't. This won't prove anything—you can't—"

"So hasty," Stain says. "That's your trouble. If you'd only slowed down, you would have found them peacefully." He glances over his shoulder and meets Izuku's eyes briefly. "Now you get to watch."

"Don't." His voice shakes. He's never done this before—never watched a ghost be made. He doesn't want to see that. He doesn't want to see Iida like that—not yet, not ever. "He won't prove anything. We're not even heroes—not yet."

"Midoriya, stop," Iida grits out.

"Casualties in every war," Stain says grimly. "That is the way of the world. It's for the best. Better to end such a tainted dream before it can be fulfilled."

"Iida, move." Izuku feels tears coming again, burning their way out of his eyes. "You have to move—there has to be a limit to his quirk, you have to try—"

The blade thrusts downward. Izuku hears Tensei scream.

And then the alley lights up, red-gold and blinding.

When Izuku's sight comes back to him, and the colored spots have faded from his vision, the fire has driven Stain away from Iida before his blade could touch him. Rei is crouching over Izuku, her hair brushing against his face.

At the mouth of the alley, flames trail from Todoroki's outstretched fingertips, while ice forms on the right side of his face. His eyes are on Stain, flickering briefly to Izuku. There's something in them that Izuku hasn't seen before—something very close to fear. In spite of that, his voice is steady—casual, even.

"You couldn't have been more specific?"

Sorry, Rei adds. He took too long. I made him hurry.

"Todoroki?" Iida gapes at their classmate. "What—how?"

"Midoriya, Iida," Todoroki says quietly, stepping further into the alley. "Are you injured?"

"No." Iida sounds reluctant. "But we can't move."

"It's his quirk," Izuku answers through grinding teeth. "If he swallows your blood, it paralyzes you. Don't let him cut you."

Todoroki nods. "Noted." His right hand sweeps forward, and a wave of ice ripples across the pavement.

Izuku doesn't relax—far from it. But something in his chest settles. Todoroki stands a far better chance of evading Stain's power than he does. It's not just that he's objectively a better fighter; he's a long-range fighter, and he can keep Stain at bay with fire and ice without risking getting cut.

With that settled, Izuku focuses on trying to move again.

No quirk is the end-all be-all. There's always a limit, always a downside, always a weakness or an opening somewhere. Rei, ever helpful, give him a sharp slap to the back of the head, but—no. It's not like Shinsou's quirk.

A time limit, maybe?

Stain is fast—much faster than Izuku was, when he was fighting Todoroki. He's swift and well-armed, with eighteen murdered heroes to speak for his skill in a fight. Todoroki's quirk is powerful, but lopsided. He isn't used to his fire, and in a narrow space like this, he can't brute-force his way to victory without risking the safety of everyone else here.

Izuku grinds his teeth until his head hurts, as he watches Stain dodge another focused barrage of ice. He hasn't even broken a bone yet, and he's already a liability right out of the gate. Splintering ice coupled with the heat from Todoroki's left side throw up a mist, and for a moment Izuku's view of the fight is hazy—and so is Shouto's.

Rei shrieks in fury, and one of the dead heroes cries out. "He's going for his knives! Kid, warn your friend!"

Izuku's heart goes to this throat, and it's a miracle he manages to speak through it. "Todoroki, he has throwing knives!" he yells.

He's a second too late; two knives come sailing through the settling mist, just as Todoroki responds to his warning. A wide pillar of ice bursts from the ground at his feet, catching one of the knives before it can reach him. The other clatters to the ground behind him, and the alley echoes with Todoroki's cry of pain.

Izuku's heart lurches. Blood trickles down Todoroki's right arm, and he clutches at the wound with his left.

"No!" Iida's not far from where Izuku lies, straining against the paralysis. "Damn it—" His eyes are wild and desperate as they turn to Izuku. "Why did you call him here?" he hisses through clenched teeth.

"Iida." The black anger rises in his chest, making his voice shake. He knows, he knows, and he didn't mean for this to happen, he didn't mean for Todoroki to come alone. That was why he sent the message to everyone.

"No one else was supposed to get involved! No one else was—"

"Don't let him near the knife!" Izuku yells, forcing his attention back to Todoroki.

"I know." Todoroki grits his teeth. He can't even stop to bind his wound, because Stain doesn't give him that chance.

In the next moment he moves—though not toward Todoroki. Stain's eyes are fixed on Izuku as he lunges, blade raised. He's already close; Izuku and Iida are further into the alley, while Todoroki stands at its entrance.

As the Hero Killer flies toward him, Izuku's brain makes a few rapid-fire observations.

Stain is much closer to him than Todoroki is.

Todoroki isn't used to his fire yet, especially in an enclosed space like this.

With his right arm wounded, his aim with ice might be off, and he can't direct it with his foot without hurting Izuku.

A long range attack isn't going to save him.

Izuku sees ice forming at Todoroki's right foot—not to attack but to propel—and he sees both Todoroki's intentions and Stain's plan.

Stain pulled the same thing with him, didn't he?

"Don't!" he yells, desperately. "It's a trap—he's drawing you in—"

But he can't know whether or not it's a bluff, and neither can Todoroki. He can't know that Stain won't follow through if Todoroki doesn't give him what he wants.

Todoroki launches himself into the alley, fire already blazing at his left arm. Stain is fast, but Todoroki is faster, and the Hero Killer is forced to leave off attacking Izuku to defend himself. The flames turn Izuku's vision to colored spots again, and when they die down, Stain is nowhere near him.

"Knife—" Izuku warns, and Todoroki is already racing back toward the mouth of the alley.

Stain gets there first, snatching the bloodied knife off the ground. His tongue flicks out—

Todoroki falls, limbs locked in place, a few feet from where Stain stands. Iida's wordless cry sends needles into Izuku's heart.

"Todoroki, was it?" Stain's voice is as slick as oil. "Ahh, you must be Endeavor's boy." Todoroki spits a curse. "Now this is a privilege."

Izuku feels his spine go taut.

"Like begets like, after all," Stain says. "Perhaps this is good practice, for when I can finally destroy your bastard father." The blade at his side twitches, and begins to lift.

(Izuku sees Todoroki limp and bloody and still, Todoroki faded and spectral with white eyes, a corpse on the ground, ghost number nineteen, Izuku called for help and he came running—)

The paralysis shatters like glass, and Izuku launches himself through the air. It's a perfectly straight line, from the ground to Stain, and Izuku never thought that impact could feel so right, but there's a grim satisfaction in how he slams shoulder-first into Stain's gut that he'll maybe stop to worry about later. The angle of it sends Stain slamming into the wall by the mouth of the alley, and as Izuku crouches over Todoroki he feels his eyes burn.

"You okay?" He keeps his eyes fixed on Stain as the latter gets back to his feet.

"Fine." Is Todoroki staring at him? Izuku's eyes are on Stain but he can feel Todoroki staring at him. "How'd you break free?"

"Good question." It can't be his own desperation or anger that let him break free, as much Izuku would like to think so. If it had been that simple, then he would have broken free when Stain threatened Iida.

"Look out!" The cry comes from… someone. Iida—Tenya or Tensei, Izuku isn't sure—or one of the crowd of watching ghosts. He sees Stain hurtling toward them again, and doesn't stop to think. Calling on One For All, he grabs Todoroki by the back of his combat vest and launches both of them out of the way of Stain's attack.

"Sorry," he mutters, teeth gritted. His own pulse is deafening. "I'm sorry. I thought more people would show up, or that they wouldn't come alone."

"Not your fault," Todoroki replies. In spite of the dire situation, he sounds almost sheepish. "I might've panicked a little. I'm usually better about that."

"Still don't know how I got free," Izuku murmurs. "Iida and that other hero were frozen before I got here. Can't be a time limit… I don't think I did anything…"

"It all comes down to luck, doesn't it?" Stain drawls. The end of his blade scrapes against the wall. "It's rarely character or actual worth. It all comes down to luck. Luck of birth. Of parentage." He spits the last word with a poisonous glare at Todoroki.

Todoroki's anger takes the form of a sharp hiss of breath. Izuku's jaw clenches until it creaks, and only out of habit does he force the corners of his mouth upward before turning his bared teeth back to Stain. He remembers Okumura, twisted and contorted beyond any semblance of humanity, blaming Todoroki for Endeavor just like this murderer is doing.

He feels fire in his eyes and steel in his heart, feels his veins flood with ice water as he smiles at Stain with white, white teeth.

The blade hums, and Izuku ducks beneath it a split second before slamming elbow-first into Stain's ribs. He tries not to feel too satisfied at the quiet retching noise. He follows it up with another blow in the same spot, not wanting to give Stain the time to recover and react. The Hero Killer falls back, rolling with impact until he lands in a crouch. He flings a knife, which Izuku dodges easily, only for Stain to charge again while he's off balance.

"Jump!" At the sound of Todoroki's voice, Izuku doesn't think; he just does. One For All launches him upward, just as ice bursts forth in a wave beneath him. Stain barely gets out of the way in time.

Springboarding off the walls, Izuku manages to land further back, closer to where Iida and Todoroki lie. Except Todoroki is on his feet now, hand outstretched, no longer paralyzed. Izuku blinks at him, astonished, and the look Todoroki gives him is equally nonplussed.

"Did you do something?" Izuku asks as he turns back to Stain.

"No. The paralysis lifted on its own, I'm sure of it." Todoroki stands by him, still bleeding from his arm. Izuku finds himself breathing easier.

"I was the first to be paralyzed," a new voice speaks up. It's the still-living hero, Stain's original victim, sitting slumped against the wall. "I still can't move."

"What do we have in common, then?" Izuku asks, half to himself. "What makes us different from them?"

Todoroki sends ice rippling toward Stain again, keeping him at bay while they regroup. Izuku wracks his brain—quirk type? Physical condition? Amount of blood ingested?—when Todoroki's left hand closes on his arm. "Midoriya," he says. "What's your blood type?"

Blood type. "I'm Type O," Izuku says. "You?"

"Same." Todoroki turns his head. "Iida?"

"I'm… Type A," Iida answers.

"I'm B," the injured hero says.

"Might be it, then." Izuku purses his lips thoughtfully. "Doesn't help us much, though."

"Clever you." Stain's chuckle rings out. "You have it right—blood type affects how long my quirk holds you in place. Not that it'll do you much good."

In spite of Stain's menace, Izuku stands unshaken, shoulder to shoulder with Todoroki. They haven't fought on the same side since the USJ, and this is no army of thugs or hulking Noumu or menacing pale man who destroys with a touch and adorns himself with severed hands. This is one man, and the two of them are standing between him and two murders.

"How's your arm?" Izuku asks.

"I'll live," Todoroki replies. "But I can't risk getting too close."

"And I can't fight long-range without breaking fingers," Izuku says. "So it works out." His eyes narrow. "If I keep him off you, can you cover me from a distance?"

Beside him, Todoroki nods. "I've got your back."

That's a first. Izuku can't think of any living person who's ever said that to him before. He steels himself, letting One For All course through him. "I shouldn't talk like this, but… I don't know if we can beat him ourselves."

Todoroki is quiet for a moment. "Probably not," he says at last, and something in his tone makes Izuku turn, to find his mouth crooking upward in a wry smile. "But we can at least make it look cool."

In spite of himself, Izuku laughs.

"You shouldn't be here," Iida hisses at them through gritted teeth. "Just—stop this, I don't want—you're both injured."

"We can still move," Todoroki replies.

"But—"

"Give it a rest, Iida!" Izuku launches himself forward. His first strike is a feint, and when Stain moves to cut him again, Izuku slams his fist into his ribs again. He hears Stain's grunt of pain, feels something—maybe bone, maybe cartilage—give, only slightly, beneath his fist.

He isn't quite sure, exactly, when his brain makes the switch from "buy time" to "take him down." Maybe enough time has passed that he can safely assume that they're on their own from here. Maybe Todoroki having his back is giving him a borderline-idiotic boost in courage. Maybe Iida still won't shut up and stop trying to convince them to leave, and this is Iida's fault for going off alone and Izuku's fault for not paying more attention when Iida still needed help and Stain's fault for killing Tensei and seventeen other people who were just doing their jobs—

Maybe it's because there are nineteen ghosts in this alleyway, and Izuku came within a hairsbreadth of seeing Iida and Todoroki join them.

Maybe he's just angry.

One of Stain's smaller knifes grazes his face as it zips past him. Izuku hears it hit the ground, hears Todoroki bury it in ice to keep Stain from getting to it. Warm blood trickles into his mouth, and Izuku barely suppresses the urge to spit it out.

Somewhere behind him, Iida's voice reaches him—stop this, leave me, I don't want you two bleeding for me

Izuku swallows liquid iron. It's a little late for that, he thinks. Maybe it slips out of his mouth, too. He's not really keeping track.

Stain launches himself past Izuku, dodging a blast of ice from Todoroki, and Izuku's body turns and carries him in pursuit before his mind has the chance to make a decision. Stain is fast, but One For All makes Izuku faster, and he reaches Todoroki just as Stain lunges in again, tongue flicking out in anticipation, eyes fixed on Todoroki's bleeding arm.

Enough of that tongue is outside of Stain's mouth for Izuku to reach out and grab it.

The noise that Stain makes is almost comical, and too much time exposed to open air makes his tongue tacky instead of slick. The Hero Killer pulls back, just as Izuku strikes him in the chin.

Stain chokes, and later Izuku will swallow down the urge to vomit when he realizes that if his punch had been any more direct, he might have guillotined his tongue right off. As it is, the Hero Killer stumbles back, bleeding from the mouth, and gives Izuku a look that is downright murderous.

He'd hinted before, that he thought Izuku was worth keeping alive. Izuku wonders if this little stunt is enough to change his mind.

"Nice shot!"

"Holy shit, kid!"

"I could've thought of that."

"And yet here you are."

Stain is already coming at him again, and Izuku charges to meet him when Iida's voice cuts through the cheers of the dead, wracked with guilt and anger. "Midoriya, stop, he'll kill you—!"

"Then stand up!"

And Izuku is confused for a moment, because that sounds like something he'd want to say, but he's hearing it in Todoroki's voice. He's thrown—by anger, by fear, by how close his friends have come to dying already—enough for Stain to slice him again. The blade bites into his side, and he lunges recklessly in an attempt to grab for it, but his blood is already on Stain's wounded tongue. He falls petrified to his knees.

Stupid, stupid!

"If there's something you want to do, then do it!" Todoroki's voice echoes off the alley walls. "Don't waste your breath yelling at us!"

Stain moves like lightning, ignoring Izuku to make a run for his friends again.

"Todoroki, I'm sorry!" Idiot, you were supposed to keep him away from them! Stain's quirk brings him down to a kneeling position this time, and he strains against it. It won't be long. He'll be free soon.

The only thing between Todoroki and the Hero Killer is a wall of ice, and Rei. His friend claws at Stain, face twisting and contorting with rage, but Stain isn't Kirishima—if he feels the concentrated terror that hovers around Rei like a fog, he doesn't show it.

Flames burst forth from the ice wall, driving Stain back, but it's only a temporary fix. Mist and steam make it hard to see as Stain attacks again, heedless of flames and injuries and screaming little girl ghosts. And then—

A blur of white and silver.

Stain is fast and Izuku with One For All is faster, but speed is what Iida was born for.

The ice wall is gone, but Iida is on his feet, glasses askew and engines sputtering but once more perfectly ambulatory. Relief swells within Izuku's chest, threatening to burst, and his eyes sting until he has to blink hard just to see again.

Stain recovers from the blow before Iida recovers from his damaged engines, or before Todoroki recovers from the strain of using his quirk. Knives—damn it, how many knives does Stain have?—are in Stain's hands and then leaving his hands before Izuku has the chance to shout a warning.

Todoroki has no time to dodge, but Iida is fast.

The first knife takes Iida through the arm that he raises to shield Todoroki, puncturing through his costume. The second pierces his hand, sending him to his knees. Izuku's stomach turns at Iida's pained cry, and the look on Todoroki's face burns itself into his memory.

Stain's quirk releases him, and Izuku throws himself back into the fight.

The ghosts are silent now. Watching. Waiting.

Todoroki has left him plenty of ice to gain the high ground—can he make it? He can't afford to doubt. Izuku launches himself upward, just as Stain makes one more pounce toward his friends.

He doesn't even see Iida move. One moment his friend is standing by Todoroki, and the next, they're meeting in midair with Stain between them.

Pain shoots through his arm as his fist meets Stain's face, but not the blinding inferno of a shattered arm. He's pretty sure Iida manages to get a second kick in before they hit the top of the ice ramp that Todoroki sends up to catch them. Izuku lands awkwardly, on top of his injured arm, and he and Iida slide and tumble their way to the ground just behind where Todoroki stands.

Stain lies still and silent on the ice, as limp as a broken doll.

The three of them—four, with the injured hero still paralyzed against the wall—wait on bated breath, but the Hero Killer is down for the count.

Cold, small hands bring Izuku back to something resembling alertness, and with Rei hovering by his side he climbs back to his feet and oh dear, that doesn't feel very good at all. Limping and stumbling on uneven, half-frozen ground, Izuku makes his way back toward the motionless villain.

"Midoriya—" he hears Iida say, distantly in the background, but he ignores him as he approaches Stain's side.

He's muttering again, probably—swearing a little, too—as he sets about relieving Stain of his knives. Within moments, he isn't alone. Todoroki joins him on one side, and on the other, the injured hero—now that Izuku has a chance to really look at him and think, he recognizes the hero Native—removes a few hidden blades from places Izuku wouldn't have thought to check.

They find some cords at a nearby trash heap, and before Izuku knows it, they're dragging the unconscious Hero Killer out of the alley. Well—Todoroki's doing the dragging. Iida's arms are a mess, and Izuku apparently looked unsteady enough that Native insists on carrying him out.

He tries to look at Iida. He really does. But it still hurts to look at him, especially with Tensei hovering over him anxiously. He'll look at Iida again when he stops seeing visions of his corpse and his ghost behind his eyelids.

"Iida." His voice is hoarse and dry. "Is it true, what he said? About… what I told you?" He almost can't force the words out. "About being helpful?"

Iida's silence tells him all he needs to know.

They're barely out in the open for half a minute when a familiar diminutive figure emerges from another cross street, and the twisting knot in Izuku's heart—when did that get there?—starts to loosen.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Gran Torino demands, and the next Izuku knows, the old man's foot is colliding with his face. It's a gentle tap, by Torino's standards. "I thought I told you to stay put, you wet-behind-the-ears brat!"

"How much were you actually banking on me staying in that train?" slips out before Izuku's adrenaline-addled brain can think better of it.

Torino looks as if he'd like to kick him again, but Izuku looks half-dead and Native looks faintly alarmed, so he sighs. "Well, you're still alive at least," he grumbles. "For what it's worth, I'm glad."

Other heroes arrive then, and it seems Izuku's message wasn't as useless as he'd thought. Todoroki had alerted Endeavor, who'd sent other heroes on while he kept fighting those Noumu creatures. At this point, Izuku has recovered enough for Native to let him down, though Rei clings to his arm like she's afraid he'll topple over if she doesn't.

We're alive, he realizes, a little belatedly. He lists dizzily, but manages to catch himself on Rei before he falls.

"Y-you both…" Iida's voice makes both him and Todoroki turn. His friend has hung back, still battered and quiet. Izuku watches, and his vision goes from living-breathing Iida to dead-pale-white-eyes Iida whenever he blinks. "You both were injured because of me," he says, and his wounds make his bow of apology awkward and stiff. He's not so bent that Izuku can't see tears dripping from his eyes (he has eyes, they aren't blank white, not yet, not today). "I was so blinded, and because of that, you two—" His voice trails off.

Izuku's throat is thick with pain. I tried to help, and it wasn't enough. I made things worse. He didn't listen. I tried so hard, and I couldn't stop it.

"Pull yourself together." The words are blunt, but Todoroki's voice is not unkind when he says them. "You're the class president, remember?"

Iida wipes his eyes hurriedly, and looks to Izuku. "M-Midoriya? I-I want you to know that—"

"Iida." His own voice sounds far away to him, like he's listening to himself from the end of a long tunnel. There's a wave of something coming, something bad and rotten, something that feels like drowning and live burial, but he can't yet. Not yet. Later, but not yet. "I'm glad you're alive. I'm glad I was f-f-fast enough. But…" He can't tell if he's crying, only that his eyes hurt and he can't look at Iida for very long.

"Midoriya—"

"I need you to just—not talk to me. Just for a little while. Okay?" Izuku can't lift his eyes again, and that makes him a coward, but he can't look at his friend's face after saying that. "Just—give me a minute. Or two. Or ten."

Iida doesn't reply, and Izuku stares at the ground and tries not to think about dead things. He doesn't try hard enough.

"LOOK OUT!"

The call comes from Gran Torino, and Izuku looks to him, bewildered, then to Stain—but no, Stain's still unconscious so why—?

And then there are claws digging into his back, and Izuku watches in blank bewilderment as the ground and all the people standing on it fall away to the sound of beating wings. He hears someone shout "Noumu," before he turns his head to find talons clutching him as the winged creature carries him further into the air.

Oh, he thinks. Those weren't the last words I was going for.

Rei rushes up after him, but as she draws close, Izuku sees her falter, screaming in confusion and terror. She won't come near the Noumu, he realizes vaguely. He didn't think anything could frighten Rei, but maybe they've finally found something that spooks her.

As quickly as it starts, it's over—the claws release him, and before Izuku has the chance to panic, someone catches him around the middle and carries him the rest of the way to the ground. There's a thank-you on the tip of his tongue, but—

"All these useless fucking phonies," Stain hisses, dropping Izuku none too gently to the ground. "And these criminals who spread their filth like rats." The Noumu is dead on the ground with one of Stain's knives (motherfucker) in its brain, and seventeen dead heroes surround them. "That's why my purge is necessary! For the sake of a just world!" He shoves Izuku into the ground. "You, though. You're worth more alive."

"I am not affiliated with you." It's hard to say with his face pressed to the pavement. Izuku's about eighty-five percent sure he manages it.

Shouting reaches his ears—Endeavor is here, finally, damn it, what took him so long? Stain releases him and rises, and Izuku shoves himself up to a crouch, tense and ready for round two even though he has never felt less ready for round two in his life—

Stain stands up, and all other thoughts flee from Izuku's mind.

"Another phony," Stain snarls, and that's when words stop translating themselves to meaning in Izuku's brain. This close to Stain, he feels it sharp and raw in his mind, in his heart, in the pit of his stomach. For a split second the distilled terror floods him, and it takes a moment for his mind to reboot itself back to somewhere in the area of functioning. Stringy dark hair falls into his vision, and that's Rei, crouching over him, eyes black, teeth bared.

It feels like… like her. Like the fear that surrounds Rei in a noxious cloud. Or the choking dread that surrounded Okumura before Izuku managed to talk him down. He can see Okumura now, and Hino, still following Endeavor; there are so many ghosts here, and they're the only ones not frozen by the Hero Killer's boiling hate.

Stain feels like a poltergeist.

But he's alive and breathing, and there are little differences that Izuku can barely register with his heart pounding the way it does. Sachi was scared and sad and panicking, hiding behind her anger and screaming at anyone who came near. Okumura was wild and blind with vengeance, lashing out at the object of his hatred and anyone close enough to catch the splashback.

And Rei…

Well.

Rei is just Rei.

But Stain's is focused. There's intent behind it. And it has nothing to do with power, and everything to do with Stain, the Hero Killer, the man.

The man falls unconscious on his feet, eyes blank, mouth open with bared teeth.

Izuku looks across, and finds everyone there—from Iida and Todoroki to Gran Torino to Endeavor himself—frozen in shock. Petrified.

And as far as Izuku can tell, Stain didn't need a drop of anyone's blood to do it.

They end up in the same hospital room together, set to spend the night under observation. Besides his cuts, Izuku's arm has a hairline fracture from the last punch. His leg is messed up, too, though he's at a loss to remember when or how that happened. He must have been pretty hopped up on adrenaline not to notice.

And it's only then, when the nurses finally leave them be and Todoroki and Iida are safe and alive and treated and it's over, it's all over and they're okay and everything is okay, no new ghosts were made, Stain is gone, Iida is safe—

That's when it comes at last.

He's been holding out this long on fumes and a prayer, staving it off with every distracting thought he can muster, cudgeling his brain in line, but it was only ever temporary. It was only ever a delay.

And now the walls are closing in, close close too close, too small not enough space, not enough air, and the nurses are gone but he still isn't alone, he needs to be alone

"Midoriya? Are you all right?"

He's not sure which of them says that, but either way it's what finally tips the balance out of his favor.

"Bathroom," is all he says before he limps out of the room, and he really hopes there's actually a bathroom nearby, or else he's going to do this in the middle of the hospital hallway.

A cold hand closes gently on his shoulder, but before Izuku can panic, the hand squeezes lightly and steers him onward, past the few nurses patrolling the hallway this late, through a door, and into a quiet, blessedly empty restroom. It's a single toilet, not stalls, and Izuku almost sobs with relief as he turns the lock behind him. He finds the corner furthest from the door, sets his back to it, and drowns.

The storm comes howling in, cold and relentless as it chases the breath from his lungs and strangles him like a noose he can't break, a knot that won't loosen. The back of his head hits the wall tiles, his vision goes hazy and dark, and he falls down, down, down, so far down he isn't sure he can find his way back up.

It was so close. He came so close. A few seconds slower and Iida would be dead. He called for help, and Todoroki came running, and Todoroki nearly died he nearly got Todoroki killed and Iida killed and himself killed and everyone killed

How many chances did Stain have to kill them

How many did he ignore

They could have died

And Stain didn't even want them dead enough to actually try.

Cold hands find his face, grounding him.

"Breathe, Midoriya. Can you see me?"

Blank white eyes Iida's face with white eyes

"No. I'm not Tenya. Tenya's in the other room. Remember? You're at the hospital."

Tensei. Tensei's here. Tensei's not with Iida what if what if what if

"Nothing's going to happen." Tensei's pale face breaks through the tunnel vision. "Do you hear me? I'm here because I know Tenya's safe. He's alive. And that's because of you, Midoriya."

Izuku forces his breathing to slow. He counts on each breath a little too fast, but it still helps to take in each one as slowly as he can manage, hold it as long as he can bear, let it out as steadily as his shuddering chest will allow, and repeat until he feels a little less like he's drowning in good air.

"You did amazing." Tensei's voice grounds him. "I'm sorry I had to put that on you. I'm sorry I didn't think to warn you sooner. You shouldn't have had to do that, but you did, and you saved my little brother. Okay? You saved him. I thought he was going to join me, but he didn't. He is alive in that room because of what you did." Tears drip from his blank eyes. "Thank you, Midoriya. Thank you for my brother's life. Thank you for being his friend."

Izuku, not trusting himself to speak, only nods.

"Midoriya, are you all right?" Tenya asks. There's a look in his friend's eyes (are they friends, still? At this point he isn't sure) that he can't name, and before he can attempt to make sense of it, Midoriya is out the door without a word or a glance in his direction.

Tenya's heart breaks a little more.

It's his own fault. He could have prevented this himself. But no—he'd let himself be blinded. He'd been stupid.

What would Tensei think of him now?

I need you to not talk to me for a while.

He deserves that. He deserves so much more than that. Midoriya has every right to be angry; he almost died because of Tenya's mess, and now…

His eyes are fixed on the door as he addresses the only other person in the room. "Do you…" It's pathetic, really, after Todoroki already told him to pull himself together. "Do you think he'll ever forgive me?" he asks.

There's a moment of silence.

"…What?" There's honest confusion in Todoroki's voice, and it makes Tenya wince.

"Midoriya, I mean," he says. "After all this… I just don't know anymore." When Todoroki doesn't answer, Tenya's eyes switch to the floor. "Do you remember what he told me, about… about doing something useful? Helping someone, to cope with my loss? I… I took that, and twisted it. Willfully so. I knew very well what he meant by it, but I took it and pretended it meant something else and—and used it to justify…" His voice catches. "And because of that—because of me—he was almost killed. You were almost killed."

"I knew what I was probably getting into, when I answered that message," Todoroki says.

"Yes but—it shouldn't have happened." His eyes burn and his head aches, but luckily he doesn't cry again.

"It did. Don't do it again." Todoroki's words come out blunt, over-simple.

"But is that enough?" Tenya hangs his head, tucking his chin in so that his hair falls over his eyes, just in case he does cry after all. "Is learning from my mistake enough to make up for the fact that I almost got him killed? I just—I don't know. And that's why I'm asking…"

"I'm just confused by your question," Todoroki says at length. "Maybe you know better than I do, since I haven't known him as long as you have. I didn't realize he needed to forgive you."

"I almost got him—"

"Killed, yeah, you mentioned that." Todoroki shifts into a more comfortable sitting position. "I mean, that's bad, obviously, I just don't… think that's really a problem for him."

"You saw how angry he is with me," Tenya whispers.

"Yes? He's been angry with me before, too." Todoroki shrugs. "Just because he's angry doesn't mean forgiveness is an issue."

"In your case, maybe not," Tenya replies, shaking his head. "Whatever your quarrel was, at least he didn't nearly die because of it."

"Which match were you watching?"

"Todoroki," Tenya growls, just a little.

"Your problem is you've got it backwards anyway," Todoroki says, matter-of-factly.

At last, Tenya lifts his head. "Backwards?"

Todoroki is looking at him like Tenya's a particularly special brand of dense. "He's not angry with you because he nearly died, Iida," he says. "He's angry because you nearly died."

Before Tenya can string together a response, the door to their room opens again, and Midoriya stumbles in looking like the emotional equivalent of being hit by a train. The door swings shut behind him, and he keeps walking straight for Tenya.

"M-Midoriya, are you all—" Alarmed, Tenya almost rises to meet him, but Midoriya doesn't seem to hear him. He neither stops nor slows until he reaches Tenya and—

He's not as careful about it as he probably should be, but Tenya's not in a position to complain about anything Midoriya Izuku does. Before Tenya knows what's happening, there are arms around his neck and he's being yanked into a hug so tight he can feel Midoriya shake.

"M-Midoriya?"

"I don't know whether or not I should punch you in the face. I'm still deciding. It'll be my left hand if that helps any because I'm not left handed so maybe I won't break anything. On you or me."

"Um—"

"It didn't have to be me." Midoriya is muffled against Tenya's shoulder, and he shows no sign of letting go. "It could've been anyone at all, or me, but it didn't have to be me, and why didn't you just talk to someone, Iida?" To Tenya's alarm, he hears his friend sniffle. "That wasn't what I meant when I said helpful and you know it wasn't what I meant and I'm sorry about your brother but I'm really mad at you, okay?" His shoulder feels damp now. "I thought you were dead. I thought I was going to find you dead because I'm slow and I didn't know where you were until it was maybe too late and I thought you were dead."

Tenya opens his mouth to answer, but he can't think of anything to say.

"I'm happy you're alive." Midoriya's voice breaks. "I'm happy we're all alive and I'm mad at you for making me think we maybe wouldn't be so don't do that again. Don't ever, ever do that again."

"I won't," Tenya blurts, and he wishes he could hug back, but his arms are a little out of commission at the moment, so he settles for leaning forward. "I promise. I'm sorry, Midoriya." He looks over Midoriya's shoulder to where Todoroki still sits. His classmate gives him a shrug and a knowing look, and goes back to staring at his phone.

Before long, Midoriya composes himself, and returns to his own cot to retrieve his phone. After a moment of fussing with it, rubbing at his tearstained face, and clearing his throat, he glances at Todoroki.

"I don't need a hug," Todoroki says.

"Wasn't going to. Just… thanks." Midoriya won't look him in the eye. "For showing up. I thought I'd get more people to come, but… I guess not."

"I was close by," Todoroki replies. "My old man's been combing Hosu for a week now, hoping to trip over the Hero Killer."

"Got his wish, I guess," Midoriya mutters. "Still… thanks for coming."

"Yeah." Even from a distance, Tenya sees Todoroki shudder a little before composing himself. "I did tell you, didn't I?"

Midoriya blinks at him. "Tell me what?"

"My choice for the week. It took me right where I needed to be."

The words mean next to nothing to Tenya, but judging by the way Midoriya's eyes widen, they must mean something to him. For a moment, Tenya feels a little alone, like the other two are sharing something that has nothing to do with him.

He sits back and turns his eyes upward to the ceiling. He's relieved, of course—that they're alive, that they're mostly all right, and that Midoriya doesn't hate him for the stupid stunt he pulled today. Stain is in custody, Hosu is safe again, but…

Tensei is still gone. Still just as dead as he ever was. If Stain had escaped, Tensei would still be dead. If Stain had been killed, Tensei would still be dead, his memory still an open wound.

He almost got two of his classmates killed doing something that never would have made a drop of difference either way.

What would he think of me now?

They have visitors in the morning. Izuku doesn't mind too much about getting chewed out by Gran Torino again, and Iida has returned to the calm, collected moroseness that he's been showing all week. It still hurts to see him like this. Even if the fight is over and they're all okay, it doesn't change the fact that someone he loved very much is still very dead. The fact that Tensei himself has hardly left Iida's side since the previous night doesn't help.

It's when Chief Tsurugamae of the Hosu police department steps in that the three of them get a little nervous.

Right—turns out there are consequences to beating the absolute hell out of a villain when you don't actually have a hero license.

"Are you saying we should have let everyone die?" Izuku almost jumps at Todoroki's sudden show of temper. His friend is on his feet, shaking with anger. "Because that's what would have happened if any of us had 'followed the rules'!"

"Todoroki," Izuku mutters.

Todoroki ignores him. "Isn't saving lives more important than—"

"Wait, Todoroki, he has a point," Iida breaks in, trying to pacify him.

"Let him finish," Gran Torino says. Todoroki scowls, but reluctantly falls silent again.

The dog-headed police chief clears his throat. "Right. As I was saying, that was simply what I had to say as a member of the police. However, at the end of the day, we can only really punish you for what is on the official record." Izuku gapes at him. "Now, of course you would receive praise and admiration if this were to go public, but in order to maintain legality, it would also necessitate punishment. On the other paw, there were few witnesses to any legal wrongdoing on your part. It could be concluded from the Hero Killer's burn wounds that Endeavor was the one who brought him down. And I doubt any hero would turn his nose up at that sort of feather in his cap."

Izuku looks to Todoroki instinctively, but his friend's face gives nothing away.

"Of course, that means that no one can know of your actions yesterday," Tsurugamae continues. "The choice is ultimately yours. Personally, I think you pups have a promising road ahead of you, and I would hate to see you leashed for such an impressive 'misstep'."

Izuku glances over to his friends, and finds Iida looking sheepishly relieved, and Todoroki… doesn't look happy, but he doesn't look unhappy either.

"It may seem unfair," Tsurugamae continues. "I know it must be a bitter pill for you to swallow, after you suffered injuries from this whole affair."

For an absurd moment, Izuku almost wants to laugh out loud. "Chief Tsurugamae," he says. "I went into that alley thinking I was going to find my friend's corpse."

There's an abrupt shift in the mood of the room as all pairs of eyes turn to him. "Um, Midoriya," Iida says.

"Then I thought I was going to be a corpse," Izuku continues, ignoring him. "And then Todoroki showed up by himself and I thought hey, that makes corpse number three."

"Thanks," Todoroki says dryly.

And in the end, do you know how many corpses there were? Zero. Zero corpses." Izuku shrugs. "So that's why I really don't care whose name gets slapped in a headline, because either way I'm going to be… just… sitting here. Enjoying not being a corpse."

A brief, awkward silence follows. Gran Torino's forehead makes an audible smacking noise as it meets his gloved hand.

"What he said," Todoroki says.

"Well I wouldn't have put it quite that way, but…" Iida mutters.

"Well then." Tsurugamae's voice shakes, like he's doing his best not to laugh. "I suppose that answers that."

By midmorning the three of them are outside the hospital, in fresh clothes as they wait for supervisors, parents, or whatever else. Iida's arms are still bandaged but thankfully out of their slings thanks to one of the nurses and her healing quirk, and Todoroki and Izuku sit on either side of him as they reflect, not for the first time, on what they've just survived. Rei, bored, hops over cracks in the sidewalk.

"Congratulations to your father, I suppose," Iida sighs, with a glance at Todoroki. "He'll probably be happy with the accolades that come from this."

"Hell no," Todoroki says flatly. "He's just gonna be pissed that he's getting credit he didn't earn himself."

"Perhaps he did, indirectly, considering your involve… ment…" Iida's voice trails off at the scowl on Todoroki's face.

He falls silent, and for a while, neither of the others try to pick up the conversation.

"Thank you again, Midoriya," Iida says at length. "I know I've said it ad nauseum, but… thank you. For everything."

"Anytime," Izuku answers. "And I do… I do mean that. I got mad at you, and I'll get mad at you again if you pull anything this stupid again, but I'll still help you."

"I've been thinking about you said, about me taking my brother's name," Iida continues, more quietly. "I'm just… not sure I'm worthy of it, after all this." At his side, Tensei heaves a sigh.

"Then make yourself worthy," Izuku tells him.

"Simple as that?" There's a joyless laugh in Iida's voice.

"It really is."

"Izuku!"

At the sound of his name, Izuku sits up straight and looks around, until his eyes light upon the figure of his mother, hurrying down the sidewalk. He rises from the bench to meet her as she reaches him, and she grasps his hand in one of hers—the other is on the strap of a canvas bag hanging on her shoulder.

"Mom—"

"Are you all right? Did you break anything?" She's already babbling, tears welling up in her eyes. "When I got the call last night, it scared the life out of me even after you called me and told me you were alright because I know you always downplay these things and I thought maybe you might have—"

"Mom." It takes some effort to break through. "I'm fine. I promise. Just got a little banged up, that's all. Y-you didn't have to come, I still have to go by my supervisor's to grab my stuff, and… um… sorry for worrying you?"

She heaves a sigh of relief. "When we get home, you are telling me everything. No leaving anything out, you understand?"

"Yes, Mom." And he means it; gag order or no gag order, she's hearing about this one. She knows about his quirk—both of his quirks—and she's sure as hell hearing about this.

Does he also want to brag a little? Maybe.

"You're sure you're all right?" she presses.

"I wasn't alone, Mom," he assures her.

The volume of her voice drops. "I know, but that doesn't mean—they can't exactly—"

"No, I mean—" He looks to the bench, and steps aside so she can have a better view. "Right, um. Mom, this is Todoroki Shouto and Iida Tenya. Guys, um, meet my mom."

Iida is already on his feet, bowing stiffly and politely until Izuku's mother sputters. "Oh! G-goodness, you're injured—that's perfectly all right, you don't need to stand up, I just came to check on him and… Well, it's very nice to meet you! Both of you!" She gives Todoroki a cautious look, and Izuku remembers with a jolt that all she knows about Todoroki is that they basically tried to kill each other at the Sports Festival.

"It's nice to meet you as well," Todoroki replies. His eyes flicker toward Izuku, briefly. He looks uncertain.

"They're my friends," Izuku says, as emphatically as he can manage. "We sort of… got out of it together. I'll tell you more about it later, it's just… complicated."

"I see…" Her eyes soften, and she adjusts the bag on her shoulder. "Oh, by the way… this was probably silly of me, but…" She zips opens the bag, and Izuku's mouth drops open.

"Mom, seriously?" On the verge of laughter, he lifts Mika out of the bag and cradles her against his chest.

"I wasn't sure what state I'd find you in when I got here, so… I thought I'd bring her along, just in case." His mother beams. "She's missed you, this past week."

And sure enough, Mika meows at him insistently, as if she's lecturing him. Scratching her behind the ears seems to calm her down.

Calms Izuku down, too.

In fact…

"Hey, can I talk to you about something real quick?" he asks. "Not—not all that, yet, just…"

"Of course." She starts to step away, and Izuku turns back to the bench.

Iida is sitting down again, and Izuku takes the opportunity to deposit Mika into his lap. "Here hold my cat, I gotta go talk to my mom," he says, and walks off briskly before Iida has the chance to reply.

His mother keeps pace with him, nudging him lightly. "You're silly, you know that?" she says under her breath.

"It works."

Iida looks back and forth between his friend's retreating back and the one-eyed cat purring in his lap until his neck hurts. "Wh… what? What just…?"

Shouto turns his head away before Iida can see him grinning.